Showdown in the Sunshine State

Despite controversy surrounding the awarding of delegates (or the lack there of), voters in the Sunshine state took advantage of the nice weather and headed out to the polls. Even before the polls opened in Florida, 8.5% of registered Democrats and 10.5 % of registered Republicans voted early, exceeding the turnout in other early Primary states!

Many of you may be wondering why the Democrats aren’t campaigning in Florida. That’s because the Democratic and Republican parties are punishing the Sunshine State for moving their primary up to January. The Democrats took away all their delegates, and the Republican Party took away half. What does that mean for you? Well, there is always the chance that the delegates will be reinstated. If that is the case, every vote will count for the Democratic candidates as they are awarded on a proportional basis rather than the winner-takes-all practice for the Republicans. This is where the strength of young voters (that’s right: YOU!) comes into play. Should delegates later be awarded, your vote could make or break a candidate, as there are normally 210 delegates up for grabs for the Democrats.

Don’t be embarrassed if you don’t understand the delegate system – it is overly complicated and hard to explain. DY is working on the easiest way to relate this system to you, so sit tight! Cartoon. Florida Pic.